Last night we arrived at the hotel after dark, so I was completely surprised when I woke up and saw what is referred to as the Japanese Alps right outside my hotel window. It was just like the scene out of The Sound of Music where the snow-covered mountains are in the distance and it’s simply breathtaking. To top it off we had breakfast overlooking this view, too! So far majority of our meals have been buffet style, so we have had plenty of opportunities to try new things. Most of the time we don't even know what it is we are eating, but we try it anyways 

Before we left the hotel we had to return our room key to the front desk so they could clean our rooms while we were gone. The doors at the Hakuba Hotel use actual keys instead of key cards, so they don't have a master key to get in each room.

We packed up in the van and headed to the Hakuba Ski Resort where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held. The resort is home to the ski jumps, and even though we can see the ramps from our hotel, once we arrived we were all amazed at just how big the jump actually is.

It was our lucky day because when we arrived we were surprised to find out they were actually having an Olympic qualifying session! It’s the fall season right now, so there wasn't any snow on the ramps. The ramps are covered in turf and they water it to make it skiable. We arrived just in time to witness the ladies final where the world champion, Sara Takanashi, was competing! Let's just say, she lived up to her title and won the competition!

We were instantly welcomed once we arrived at the track and we met so many different people that I can't even begin to name everyone! Trevor was great with all the Japanese fans, and they were all so thankful that he is here racing.

Today was just a “fun” team race and Trevor competed with four other guys, one of which was the president of KTM Japan. The girls took off first and each person did 5 laps. They would check through a tent and pull a sticky note that had the lap number on it each time to signify they completed the lap. Trevor ran the anchor position and finished off strong! 

There was also a section where you could choose to hit a jump or take a longer route. If they didn't jump past the marked line, then they got penalized and had to pull off the track for a while. We’re not sure how long the penalty was, but we think it was about the same amount of time it took to go the route without the jump.

Before the team race Masami asked Trevor and I to speak, while his granddaughter translated for us. It was an honor to be able to represent GNCC racing this way. 

There is no rule about walking the track so once the team race was complete we rode up the mountain in the van shuttle that was driven by Takahisa Hoiki. Not only did he know all three of our names before we told him, but Takahisa also gave us a special hand-made silk balls. Takahisa was so thoughtful that he gave Trevor a special silk ball that was red because he rode a Honda.

The race course is a lot different from a typical GNCC track. Instead of a tight, narrow track the sections are wide and simply roped off with tape making multiple line choices. The dirt is perfect, and there's a good mixture of rocks and roots as well.

Inoue is a Honda engineer that works strictly on the frame designs. He was pleased when he found out Trevor only had to make a few small adjustments to his bike to get his bike comfortable enough to race. The support Trevor has received from the whole Honda crew has been nothing but exceptional and makes me realize just how happy we should be to have Trevor apart of our GNCC family! 

People were demoing bikes all afternoon where they would ride the older bike model first, and then ride the newer model so they could see how different the new model was. I have no idea how many laps were turned between everyone, but it had to be a lot! They were non-stop until dark. 

After the demo rides were complete there was a small podium for the team race. Trevor was recognized and got on stage to talk about his race and his thoughts about the course. Hide was able to translate for Trevor so everyone could understand what he was saying!

The language barrier isn't as bad as you may think. Majority of the Japanese people can speak English, and speak it surprisingly well that. However, when we are talking for a long time it's easier to have a translator so no one has to think and can understand easier. Dinner concluded today’s activities, and we will be leaving the hotel bright and early tomorrow to get to the track!